"More than 1 in 10 apparently healthy pets has a serious underlying condition"
At Cromwell Vets we are seeking ways to keep your pets healthy and happy throughout a long life. Each year dogs and cats age at the rate of six or seven human years. This means that serious conditions can develop long before you notice signs that your pet is "feeling poorly".
The only way to detect pre-symptomatic disorders is through measuring changes in the chemistry of your pet's blood.
The blood screening can also allow the vet to get a picture of each pet’s healthy biochemistry which helps monitor future changes. Vets compare blood levels to a reference range but these are relatively wide. Regular testing helps the vet more accurately identify subtle trends in the blood levels, again allowing for early intervention in illness. This is why we offer Wellpets for all age pets at the time of their annual vaccination and health check. This valuable service is available at a discounted price when done during this annual visit.
Clinical evidence
In a recent clinical study of apparently healthy pets, more than one in ten were found to be developing the early stages of a disease condition, including:
- Liver disease
- Chronic kidney disease
- Gastro-intestinal disorders
- Heart diseases
- Thyroid disorders (particularly amongst older animals)
None of these animals had displayed any symptoms of disease.
This study clearly shows that a regular blood screening would enable us to diagnose and treat illnesses at the pre-symptomatic stage.
This should mean less traumatic, more effective and lower cost treatments. If the blood test results are clear, this gives you added peace of mind for your pet’s health.
Hi tech, low cost analysis
Our practice is equipped with a high specification blood analyser, which enables us to offer the best possible screening and monitoring of your pet's health. The following panel of tests is run on a small blood sample taken from your cat or dog:
- Glucose to check for diabetes
- ALT to check liver status
- Creatinine, Phosphorus and Urea to assess kidney function
- Total Protein to check for infections and liver function
- ALKP to check intestine, bone and liver health
- GGT to assess the liver duct function
- Manual PCV for red blood cell count
- Thyroxine to check thyroid function
Remember, an abnormal result does not always mean that a disorder exists; but it is justification for re-checking or further investigation
How the Wellpets programme works
We now offer the “Wellpets” blood screening for all age pets. We highly recommend regular “Wellpets” on the occasion of their annual booster vaccination and physical exam. We are pleased to offer this valuable service at a discounted price of £45.94 when done during this annual visit.
To confirm this screening for your pet, please advise the Receptionist when you book your appointment so that extra time can be allocated.
During your appointment, we will take a small blood sample from your pet to be analysed in our in-house laboratory. If the results of the test are normal we will confirm this by post within a few days.
In the event of a result needing further investigation, we will contact you by telephone to arrange an appointment where your vet will explain the next step.
